TEHRAN- Isfahan province exported medicinal plants, rose water, and plant essences worth more than $30 million in the past Iranian calendar year 1403 (ended on March 20, 2025), according to a provincial official.

Ahmadreza Raiszadeh, the director for horticulture affairs in the Agriculture Department of the province, announced that over 24,000 tons of the mentioned products were exported to 40 countries including Germany, Sweden, Pakistan, and some Arab countries in the previous year.

He also stated that more than 2,500 traditional and modern units are active in the field of processing, packaging, and export of these products in the province.

“Cultivation of medicinal plants on 12,500 hectares with a production of 73,000 tons per year in Isfahan Province holds a special place in the country, and in most cases, we rank first to fifth”, the official highlighted.

The expansion of lands for the cultivation of medicinal plants by 300,000 hectares is one of the set goals in the seventh five-year national development plan (2023 – 2027).

“In the sixth national development plan, the medicinal plants expanded by 491 thousand hectares which exceeded the set goal of 250 thousand hectares,” IRIB quoted Tarahom Behzad, an official with the natural resource and watershed management organization, as saying.

The expansion of lands for the cultivation of medicinal plants through implementing multi-purpose pasture management plans using biological and biomechanical methods and preventing any change in the use of pastures is also considered in the seventh national plan, the official added.

Over 1,500 tons of medicinal plants were harvested, and more than 961 tons were exported in the Iranian year 1402 (which ended on March 19, 2024), Behzad further noted.

According to the official, 14 natural climates are known in the world, Iran encompasses about 11 of these climate types and the country is the breeding ground of all kinds of medicinal plants.

So far, about 8,600 plant species have been identified in Iran, of which 2,300 species are medicinal and are directly used in the field of medicine, health, and food supplements, he added.

He said benefitting from a special climate and the area of about six million hectares of medicinal plant habitats is a very suitable opportunity for proper utilization, serious investment in processing, creation, and employment opportunities as well as more specialized exports in the field of processed products, and earning foreign currency.

More than 300 medicines are made out of 1,200 medicinal plants in the country. The production of medicines from plants in the country dates back to 1980.

About 4,400 natural products and over 2,000 traditional products are being supplied by domestic companies to the market.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran's share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

Iran is among the leading countries in the field of medicine and health technology, supplying 98 percent of pharmaceutical items to the domestic market.

Since most of the raw materials for the production of herbal medicines are native to the country, these products can internationally compete with those of the other countries.

Besides, some 15 to 20 percent of Iran's herbal medicines are unique in the world. Iran has the capacity to introduce new herbal medicines to the world.

Producing and commercializing pharmaceutical plants are the best ways to introduce the rich resources of herbal medicines which, in addition to making foreign currency revenues for the country, will lead to the scientific authority of Iran in this field.

MA